I'm no expert, in fact, I'm still in the process of creating my first "real" comic (please don't count the other ones), and I didn't really start getting into comics until I was about twenty years old. However, I am of the generation that bridges the gap between ye olde fuddy duddies (j/k!) and Generation Ritalin.
I spent the majority of my formative years in a town of less than two thousand. When I was a teenager the internet was only just finding its footing. Although I spent much of that time in Christian chatrooms heckling people, looking up photos of hot guys in punk bands, altavista'ing gross things to show my friends in computer class, and trying to find ways to be way cooler than everyone else at school. Something else happened, too. Suddenly, I didn't have to wait for our quarter-annum family trip to the Barrie Mall to stock up on $30 NOFX and Less Than Jake CDs. I could just download the music! For free! In fact, I could find rare versions of songs you couldn't even find at the Barrie Mall! Sure, it was illegal, but what does a whiskey-drinking, mailbox-knocking teenager who is "punk as fuck" care?
Comics? I read MAD, Cracked, and Betty and Veronica (which I kept in a basket beside our toilet). I didn't even know that comics beyond Spiderman, Batman, and Superman existed.
That is, until I moved to the city. Toronto was where I discovered everything. I found friends with similar interests (although those were ever-changing in my early twenties - both friends and interests). And I had a friend that introduced me to the work of Julie Doucet and Daniel Clowes.
From there, I uncovered many other comic-creators, writers, and artists that I fell in love with. I began with the more independent stuff from Fantagraphics and D&Q, then worked my over to Image, Vertigo, and Dark Horse. I had found it, the one thing that I could always love (well, besides horror movies). But I'll never forget the first time I walked into the Silver Snail. My heart was in my stomach. I was so nervous they'd spot me; "Imposter! Imposter!" They'd ask me questions about the Green Lantern, or know the comic I was buying meant I had only just heard about a title that had been out for years, like some poser. Of course, none of the employees were like that. In fact they had many helpful suggestions. I know my insecurities aren't something everyone who gets into comics "later in life" experiences, however I know I'm also not alone.
And this is one of the many reasons I think digital comics are going to open a lot of doors for readers. Instead of looking at it from the viewpoint of a publisher, writer, or artist, you need to look at it, as a reader.
Say there's a teenager who keeps hearing about some comic, via a newsfeed, word of mouth, or because it was what some movie he just saw was based on. Do you think he's going to go to a comic book store for the first time in his life, and nervously seek out said title? I don't know, but I'd wager not likely. However, if from the privacy of his own home, he can download a first issue for $1.99, or better yet for free, then you might have not only found a reader for said comic, but a reader for a lot of comics, for life. He may love the comic so much, he races out to buy the TPB, and he might bring a friend.
What if you're interested in comics, but you live in some hick-town, and only go to the city a few times a year? Wait, there are readers outside of the metropolis? Yeah, and there could be a lot. Kids get bored, that's why the liquor and video game industry is booming. Yes, they have the option of buying titles from various websites on the internet - and not to negate online stores - but you have to pay for shipping, and wait for sometimes many weeks. The further the buyer seems from their purchase, the less likely they are to make it. Buying an e-issue for half-price online means instant gratification at a discount. Not only that, but if people really get on board with this, you can try out comics from all over the globe, without ever leaving your shack in the woods.
I don't own an iPad, iPhone, or any other type of smart technology, so I can't comment on overseas downloading rates. However, I do have a laptop. And if I were to travel overseas for a month or two, I would bring it. No matter where I am in the world, because of comics going digital, I could still keep up with all of my favorite titles while I'm away. If I want to buy them when I get back, then I will, but there's no reason to miss out while on vacation.
Not only that, but thanks to smart phones there's now a visual element to word of mouth . If hypothetical reader is out with his friends, and mentions this "cool vampire comic by so and so", his friends are far more likely to pick up an e-copy while sitting with him, or remember the comic for later purchase, if the reader busts out his iphone and shows them what he's talking about. This is good for the hypothetical reader's vampire-loving friends, as well as the creator of said vampire comic.
Still, this is heavily weighted on the readers side. So really, what about me, the creator/publisher?
I hate to break it to you, but your comic could already be digital, and you just don't know it. All it takes is a scanner. A friend of mine, one of the greatest downloaders of our generation, actually sent me torrents of a few comics he thought I might be interested in checking out. They weren't uploaded by the publisher. (As a sidenote, I don't do this as general practice nor do I condone it, my buddy just came across some links and thought I'd enjoy them).
Yes, there will always be scammers, downloaders, etc, and they will always find a way to get what they want for free. So why not make it easier for them? Put your work online, give them what they want. Instant gratification. For the super-hacks they'll find it for free anyway, for the ones that would rather not spend an hour scouring the net for something they could have for $1.99, they'll click once, and pay you. But if it comes down to "looking on the internet for a free pdf" vs "driving an hour, in the winter, to the comic book store", you may lose the money if your lazy reader doesn't have a paid online option.
The reason that comic downloading isn't the problem that it is for novels, movies, and music is because it's a niche market. Like everyone else who loves comics knows, there is nothing like holding a comic in your hands when you read it. Once someone has read a 300 page novel pdf, they aren't likely to go out and buy a hardcopy so it can sit on their shelf collecting dust, unless they love it. True fans of movies may still go out and buy the DVD of a movie they loved even after downloading it (usually with the promise of DVD extras or special packaging), but they won't for a movie that they downloaded for free and thought sucked. Music? Well, the music industry is kinda fucked in the downloading sector. But musicians have evolved. Though they still sell records, they make a good chunk of their money (I assume) through touring, appearances, endorsements, merch, and commercial royalties.
Same could go for comics; if your comic doesn't blow someone's mind, then I doubt they'll go out and buy it hardcopy. But as a general rule, you want to see the art in person if you like it. It's kind of hard to read on your computer/iphone, even with those cool interactive thingies. And if you print it out on a super-spec printer, it'll probably cost more than the comic itself. But if you read the comic, one issue, or all issues, and you truly love it, you'll go buy it, and show it off on your bookshelf. That's the difference between toe-dippers and diving-board jumpers, and toe-dippers aren't going to negatively effect your sales, because they were never going to buy your comic in the first place.
Sell-outs. What happens if you sell out of print copies? How many sales are you losing by not having your comic in a particular store, at any given time? Your reader will either patiently wait, or say "nah, fuck it", and won't think twice about your comic. If only your comic was available online.
What about the creator who is just starting out? He doesn't make any money from his comic, and how the fuck is he supposed to with all this digital bullshit?
Unlike The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novels, and Michael Bay movies, your comic and name probably aren't as well-known. Do you spend money on PR for your comic? How do you promote yourself? Putting your comic online, for a small fee, or for free, is probably the best PR you can do. If your comic becomes viral, so does your name. And that's when the big guys take notice, and that's when, hopefully, you'll get a paycheque.
Sure, it's a gamble, but I think it's a worthwhile one. If you never get published by anyone other than yourself, there are other ways to make money. Some examples are the dude who makes Dinosaur Comics - whom I've heard (although pure hearsay) supports himself nicely on merchandise. The Penny Arcade guys offer their comics for free, but they make money in ad-placement, merch, and who knows what else.
I think comic-creators, also stand to learn something from the authors of novels. Unlike the novel-writing community, the comic community has NO stigma about self-publishing. You can do it without being shaked and baked, and this is GREAT NEWS! You can use the successful models of other creators, free of shame! (For the record, I'm all for self-publishing novels.)
There's the David Wong phenomenon of John Dies at the End. At first he e-published a free serial, uploading chapters every time he finished one onto his website (much like the webcomic formula). Then he put it all together into an e-book, for free, and received 70 000 downloads (imagine if he had charged .99 cents per download!) Then it got picked up by a "real" publisher, and now it's being made into a movie. Yeah, this guy had to wait, but he also decided he had something worth showing the world, and did it.
As well as that, I think comic-creators should think about free bonus material. The web is a great way for you to say thanks to your fans. Why not? If you start making a bit of money, post some free comics every now and then. Listen to your fans; is there a character they particularly like, but you know will never get their own published comic? Then do a short one-shot just for the net. Do people ask you how you draw? Why not make a video a la Skottie Young? The web is a great tool for you to build a strong connection with your fans, and freebies make your fans happy. Take a look at how Kelley Armstrong (author of the Otherworld series, and a huge success) says thanks to her fans.
Probably the biggest benefit of digital publishing for starting-out creators, is the money. How much is it going to cost you to print your comics if you don't have a publisher? Versus how many actually sell? Do you make your money back? How do you get your comics out there? Do you trudge around to various comic stores and ask if they'll let you grace their 2-foot-by-1-foot space allotted for indie specials, probably on consignment? Don't hold your breath for that $12 cheque you may receive in about six months. You can sell hardcopies online, sure, but that still costs money. Or, you can spend no money, upload your comic as a pdf, for sale on your website (so you see pure profit minus paypal fees), or via iTunes or Amazon. Yeah, they do take a cut, so price your comic accordingly. But remember, the more it costs, the more readers you stand to lose.
Here is a link to an article on the pricing/profits of comics online vs print.
What if you're already well-known, established, and don't need some hokey viral PR? You're wrong. You do. Because my thirteen-year-old cousin doesn't know who you are, or give a fuck about the four hundred titles you did with so and so, and most of your fans are getting up there themselves. But you don't have to listen to me, you can keep maintaining your fanbase, instead of jumping at an opportunity to expand it.
Where can I find online comics?
Both graphic.ly and comiXology have a nice variety of free and not-free comics.
Image also has a lootbag of first issue freebies here. You can find first issues of my favorites; The Sword, Girls, and The Walking Dead, as well as a number of others. Hell, it was the Girls free issue on the Image website that was my first introduction to the Luna Bros, which led me to buy every issue of Girls as well as Deluxe HC of The Sword. See, digital comics DO sell paper comics.
Are you a creator looking for more info and support on the subject? Check out Steve Niles' website, and this new one.
I was trying to think of some way to end this post with something poignant, or some shit. But what it really boils down to is telling your story, and getting it out to as many readers as possible. You can view digital as the enemy, or you can use it as a vehicle to ingratiate yourself with a new audience. Either way, it's coming.
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